Front-wheel drive for traction-engines.



J. A. PETERS. FRONT WHEEL DRIVETOR TRACTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1907. 905,918.

Patnted Dec. 8, 1908.

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- J. A. PETERS.

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE FOR TRAGTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION PILED 0012.21, 1907.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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gear chains inter-connecting the latter gear' UNITED sTATEs xPATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN PETERS, OF PLUM COULEE, MANITOBA, CANADA.

FRONTWHEEL DRIVE FOR TRACTION-ENGINESi` 5 Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 21, 1907. Serial No. 398,511.

To all whom it may concern: y r

Be it `known that I, JOHN AEONv PETERS, of

the village of Plum Coulee, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements' in ,Front- Wheel Drives for Traction-Engines',` of vwhich the following is the specification:

My invention relates to front wheel drivesA for traction engines, and the object of the invention is to provide means whereby the forward or leading wheel in any formof vehicle; agricultural implement, or motor tractor,

may be independently driven, such driving gear being connected to allow for all the turnmg that is required in aleading wheel.

t consists essentially in a semi-circular rack 'toothed on the inner edge and actuated by inter-meshing gears, a lower cross shaftconnecting the extending ends of the rack, an inner semi-circular beam connected to the shaft-at its ends, the beam 'and the rack being' held to the traction latform by spools, a

traction wheelrevol'ub e on the'shaft', an upf vbearin being free to` move in respect to the vertica shaft,`angle braces passin from the latter bearing to the traction p atform, a

cross shaftsupported by the braces, gear wheels at the ends of the upper cross shaft,

Wheels with the gear wheels carried by the f cross shaft on the braces, asuitable engine on the platform and a drive chain connecting the engine with a gear wheel on the brace.

cross shaft, the'parts being arranged and constructed as hereinafter more particularly del scribed.

Figure 1 is a plan view, of m vcomplete invention, the forward drive Wheel being shown dotted in a second position. ,F' 2 is' a side elevation of the invention, as inI ig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation. 4 is an enlarged, detailed, perspectiveview of the means holding the semi-circular rack to the Patented Dec. s, 190s.

platform, as lwellas the inter-connection the steering gear.

In thedrawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

I have shown my mvention, a lied to a motor tractor, and althou h Iplhave not shown.y any means whereby t e hind or tractionwheels are driven, yet it will be under for stood ,that these are propelled in any ofthe well knownways now on the market. I concern myself only with the manner in which the front wheel is individually operated, and

it will be understood that when the machipe is in actual use all the wheels are driven from the motor.

I have found that with the Ordinary yfour wheeled motor tractor, having simply two rear drive wheels, that'in many cases it has ,not'fully filled all requirements, as oftentimes a machine has gotten stuck in the mud, or thewheels have skidded in wet clay soil, and the machine couldnot release itself withoutoutside aid., To avoidithis difficulty I have provided a third Wheel, as already sug- `gestedand have found it to work satisfacof the wheels y torily as in nearlyl all-,cases one can catch solid ground.

1 and 2 are the rear traction Wheels which may be of `any desirable form, such wheels being interconnectedby anaxle 3..

4 lis a platform supported by the axle and between the wheels. i 5. Is a semi-circular rack, having teeth 6 vthe platform to extend forwardly and held to theA platform by spools 7 7l as will be hereinafter more particularly described.

8 is a lower cross shaft,.fastened at its ends at 9 to the rack, and such shaft is for the greater part of its length square, being on its -inner.edge, such rack being placed on rounded centrally to receive the forward traction wheel 10, which is free lto rotate on 11 is an inner semi-circular beam, fastened at 12 to the lower shaft 8. Thebeam passes over the front of the platform and is held there by' spoolsl, of the same form as those shown at 7 The spools 13 are set back far enough on the platform to give a ood bear- -in face to the beam 11 onthe p atform, it

bem noted that theI beam'passes between the odies of the s oolns, which lextend over and .under and hold)tle beam.

Thel `spools 7 haveotheir bodies y with teethto mesh with the teeth on the .into the platform. i

inner face of the rack amd are pivoted on ins or bolts passing centrally through them l14 is the central spool, which lis considerably different from the others, it having the ordinary head 15, with a toothed body portion 16 engaging with the teeth on the rack 5:

Directly beneath the rack and centered on the spool bolt 17 is a worm wheel 18 which is in mesh with a worm 19 'at the end of the shaft 20. The shaft is suitablymounted in bearings 21 carried on the platform, and has at the opposing end A-to the worm a bevel gear 22.

23 1s a bevel gear meshing with the gear 22, and 2.4`is a steering post extending upwardly fromy the bevel Igear, 'such `'post being carried.

,in any convement bearing'25 on the platform.

steering post. It will be seen that by' turning the hand wheel the rack 5 can be turned at will, and that according .to the ratio of the gears and the worm and worm Wheel, so the quickness of the action of the rack,

27 is a yokefshaped frame, extending up and over the forward traction lwheel 10, and

it is connected directly to the square portion of the shaft at 28 on either side of the wheel. Itwill of course be understood that the distance between the shaft andthe front 4of the platform, when the front traction Wheel is directly facing the front, is somewhat greater than the radius of the traction wheel, or in other words the traction wheel is free to move forward of the platform.

v'29 is a gear wheell carriedon a vertical shaft 30, extending upwardly from the center lof the horizontal member of the frame 27,

the'said shaft bein "rotatable in a bearing 30 carried by theA orizontal-member, and

31 is a bearing face for the under side of thewheel by means of arms 40,'which extend' -from the wheel.

With this connection it will be seen that the-rotation of the gear wheel 29 is directly conveyed to the traction wheel, and that both the gears'36 and 38 drive the wheel in the same direction'.

. rectly above the upper face ofthe 41 is a loose sleeve on the shaft 30, di-

42 is a cross platepivgted centr ly on the vertical shaft and bearing von the upper side 44, outside the bearings 43.

26 is a hand wheel at the upper end ofthe pinions lto the right and left .V

gear 29. y

of the loose sleeve, and has its ends lturned upwardly at 43, forming bearings for an upper cross shaft 44.

45 is a large bevel gear atv the upper end of the shaft 30, and 46 is a bearing ace on the plate 42 for the gear.

47 is a bevel inion meshing with the bevel gear, .said gear eing carried by' thev shaft 44.'

48 48 are two a le braces' assing downwardly and rearwar l .from the plate 42 to the platform, to whic they are secured by blts 49.

50 are chain wheels at the ends of the shaft 51 is a cross shaft carried by the vertical:

arms of the angle braces, and 52 are'- chain wheels at thev end of the latter shaft/,such wheels being directly connected by-chains 53 t0 the upper set of Wheels 50.

54 is a chain wheel secured centrally on the.

55 is any suitable form of engine mounted on the platform, and 56 is the main drive shaft of the engine.

57 is a chain wheel with the Wheel 54.

011th@ drive Shia andV 58 is a chain interconnecting the .wheel 57 The braces 48 keep the plate 42 a set po;

siti'on with regard to the platform, -its `position being thevsame as the main shaft 8 when the forward traction wheel is directly to the front.

A movement ofthe rack'by the yoke frame with'the shaftj' 8, andthe and in no 4matter what osition .the rack, and consequently the' tract1on-wheel may be` in, it can .always be driven'fby fthe engine,

What I claim as my-invention is: 1. yIn a vdevice of the class described the combination withthe platform carried by a set f-traetion wheels and lhavinga-motive power thereon, of-a semi-circular rack extending forwardly of the. platform andmov.- able thereon, a forwardtraction Wheel-rotatable on ashat secured at its ends to the rack, an upright frame strajddling the front tractionw ee and carried b the shaft; a central gpar pivoted on a vertical shaft bearing'int e latter franieg, geais inter-meshing with .the lattel`- gear and :communicating through shafts and inions with circular racks onv the forwar .traction wheel, land driving means interconneet1ng the motive power onv` the platform with the fvertical shaft, as and for the-purpose specified.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with the platform carried by a set of traction Wheels and having aA motive power thereon, of a forwardly extending semi-circular rackadapted tgturn on the p means of the' hand wheel, as hereinbcfor'e described, ,turns tractionwheel '10, and this movement simply 'causes the gears 32 and, 33 to"l change ,their l position on .the circumference of the. gear 29,

platform; means for turning thel rack; also pivoted centrally on the Vin bearings on the souple shaft inter-connecting the extending ends. of the rack; a forward tractionwheel rotatable on the 'shaft andcentrall of its length; an

'inner semi-circular rein orcing beam fastened at its ends .to the shaft and free to turn latform; an' upright frame straddling the fldrward traction wheel and fastened to the 'shafty'a central gear wheel on a vertical shaft pivotall vsupported in the upper cross portion of the rame; a set of gears `inter-meshin with the latter gear and carried by vertical s afts operating in bear-v ings extend' from theframe; pinions at the lower extremities 0f the latter shafts intermeshing with circular r'acks carried by the forwar tractionwheel; an upper cross'lplate l shaft and having upturned ends forming l per cross shaft meshi -combination with the platform carried by a set of rear traction wheels, of a semi-circular rack having teeth. on its inner edge; a set of spools pivotall fastened tothe platform and o erating on t o similarly pvivoted spools having the body toothed and engagin with the forward face of the rack; a cross s aft connecting the ex;

- tendin l.ends of therack; a-traction wheel combination *ith the se't of rear traction wheels, of a se'uli-circular lrotata ly mounted 4on'the shaft; and means forturning 4the rack, ,as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a device of the class described the platform carried by a "rack havin the teeth on its inner ed e, a set worm `vaheel, said worm being carri yshaft suitably mounted on'the platform,` said of spools pivotally fastened to the 'atform and operatin on the-rear edge of t e rack; a set of sim' arly vpivoted spools having the body toothed and engaging with the-forward face'of the rack; a cross shaft connecting the extending ends of the rack; a traction wheel rotatably mounted oil the shaft;a spool cen! trally p lvoted'on the platform",` saidA spool having its body portion 'toothed and engag,

ing with `the rac 1and its lower end in the form of a worm w eel, a worm engagingthe 'ed y a ormer vertical e rear edge vof the rack; a setl shaft beinconnected through a set of bevel wheels wit a steering post, as and for the purpose specified. 1

5. In a device of the class described the combination with the platform carried by a set of traetionpwheels and having a motive power sup orted thereon, of a semifcircular rack exten ingforwardly of the platform and Acarried by 4opposing spools pivoted 0n the' platform; a cross shaft inter-connecting the extending ends of the rack; an inner semicirculanreinforcing 'beam fastened to the shaft and extending rearwardly to the platform, 'and operatin 1n spools p ivoted on the platform; a forwar traction wheel rotatably mounted centrally onthe shaft; an upright `frame straddling the' wheeland fastened to the shaft; a s et of circular racks fastened to the facel of the forward traction wheel, one of the racks-bein off-set from the wheel a cen tral gear Whee on a vertical shaft pivoted at its lower end within-bearings formed in the cross portion of the upri ht frame; gear wheels, one at either side o the latter gear,

and inter-meshing therewith, saidl gears being carried b downwardly extendlng shafts 4' mounted 1n bearing brackets extending inw'ardly from the upright frame; pinions at the end of the shafts adapted to operate onA the racks fastened to 'the traction wheel; an

upper cross plate centrally mounted on the vertical shaft and bearing on a sleeve onthe shaft abovethe central gear'wheel, the said cross plate having upwardly extendin arms formingy bearin s for an upper cross s aft; a

bevel gear at t e upper `end of the vertical shaft; a bevel pinion on the up er cross shaft inter-meshing with the beve gear', a le braces connecting the upper cross plate with the platform; a crossshaft mounted on the braces and carrying an outer set and acentral chain wheel; c hain wheels at the extremities of the upper cross shaft; chains interconnecting the latter chainv wheelswith the the braces 5 and a chainl interconnecting the main drive wheel of the motive power with the central chain wheel on the cross shaft outer set of wheels on'the shaft mounted on f carried by the angle braces, as and. for the Signed latAltafna, in the Province of Mani-v toba, this tthd'ay croci; 1901,. 4

,-.I'oHNaPE'rERsQ f Witnesses:

A. H. LALPPKY,

JAcoB E. FUNK., 

